Blogs in this category relate to our travel and adventures as a family of five.
That encompasses our school bus conversion (“skoolie”) tour and travel in Europe. We started traveling in our skoolie, lovingly called the HildeBus, in May 2021 from Tampa, Florida. After 6 months on the road, we unexpectedly stopped full-time travel in October 2021 due to Eric’s surfing accident though we plan to continue travel recreationally soon.
During those 6 months of RVing in the United States, we drove from Florida roughly hugging the eastern coast. We traveled across 13 states: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont.
We discovered a love for slower pace (staying a few days to weeks in one location) and exploration, rather than long days of driving. We also grew closer as a family since we spent 100% of our days and nights together.
We knew we craved something different than what the traditional American dream had to offer, and we found it.
We’ve found that there are great travel affiliate programs that make our lives easier when on the road and have helped us adventure more as a family. It’s these programs that I recommend below.
My goal with this blog is if you are looking to finding a way to monetize your audience traffic to your blog, social media or YouTube channel, then the travel affiliate marketing programs below can be a guide to find an affiliate program that aligns with your audience.
There are no minimum requirements to join the affiliate travel programs I’ve listed below. That’s great news if you’re just starting out building a blog, YouTube or social media platform to drive affiliate traffic to travel programs.
I’ll also discuss the usability of their partner program website like ability to access assets and generate links.
These programs will fall into four categories:
Administrative
Adventure
Accommodation
Rewards Credit Cards
We are affiliates of these free travel affiliate programs and may earn a commission if you click on these links and pay for their services. We appreciate it if you do.
Administrative
Though certainly not the “sexy” side of travel, the day-to-day operations of a household and business still continue even if made smaller or remote when traveling. These are the administrative services we use that make our lives much easier whether living abroad in Sweden, backpacking in Southeast Asia or traveling in our skoolie across North America.
Having a real physical street address in the United States is important to us since we run an American business, but we also need a service that would work with us when traveling outside of the USA. We liked that US Global Mail offers easy registration, provides a real mailing address (not a PO Box), can scan postal mail and checks (as needed for a fee), and even forward checks to be deposited at our bank on our behalf. All this just moves along in the background of our lives while we’re on the road or out of the USA.
Get a free month of service if you sign up with US Global Mail using our code: INGRID-KPHDX9GG.6ML
Read more about US Global Mail in this blog here about “How do you get mail when you live in a skoolie or van?”
We signed on for this virtual mailbox service in May 2021 when we moved into our skoolie. Since October 2021, we’ve been living in Sweden (Europe) and continue to use the service since we don’t have plans to come back to an American mailbox any time soon.
US Global Mail Affiliate partner website
There are two programs, depending on what you’re looking for:
Referral program
Affiliate program
The referral program is more of a word-of-mouth program for users who pay for the service. Think of it like telling a friend that you can get them a discount or free months of service if they use your code when they register.
The affiliate program is more robust. You’ll have a dedicated affiliate partner portal that you log in to. Once there, you’ll have access to assets like banner images and be able to generate custom links.
We started in the referral program and are now in the affiliate program.
EZLandlordForms
I’ve been using EZLandlordForms to write leases for personally-owned and self-managed rentals since 2012! Years ago, I found this software and I quite literally wouldn’t be writing leases without it. I pay for the service since you get access to additional features like state-specific leases; however, there is a free lease agreement template you can get on the unpaid account.
I continue to use the EZLandlordForms software because it offers features like:
Tenant screening including credit, criminal and eviction checks
State-specific lease agreements and addendum (paid service)
They offer their affiliate partners a dedicated EZLandlordForms partner website where you can register your payment information and access all assets. The assets are rather limited though – some links to videos advertising their services but not much else as far as creativity.
When we moved to Sweden, we quickly realized that the American banking system was just not going to cut it internationally. The banking system is completely different outside of the USA, like the use of IBAN and SWIFT numbers instead of the American account and routing numbers.
I remember complaining to other American expatriates at a park in Uppsala in October 2021 about how difficult to access our American funds in Sweden. They recommended Wise since it was an American-European company, with branches on both sides of the pond. They also offer transparency around fees like currency conversion.
We signed up that night for Wise banking, and haven’t looked back! We have since closed down our Wells Fargo and Bank of America accounts because they just aren’t made for the long-term international living.
Wise affiliate partner website
Wise banking offers a dedicated affiliate partner website where you can register your payout and preferred currency, as well as generate links and find assets. Since Wise is international, this is a good program for those based in a foreign country. They offer multiple currency payment options.
Adventure
With three little kids, we’re quickly learning that we need affordableadventures to keep them happy and help mom and dad retain their sanity. Planning independent adventures is tiresome though, especially after a busy day of parenting and work. That’s why we love these programs, which take care of much of the planning for you.
Viator
Viator
Becoming a Viator Partner offers some great benefits within the travel niche. Primarily, there are so many adventures that I want to do myself, so I get really pumped to use the service when planning our travels. For example, we are in Thailand at the time I’m writing this post and Viator is offering scuba diving tours and authentic Thai cooking classes.
Viator travel affiliate partner website
The Viator partner program website is very user-friendly. You can easily locate assets like the banner below and links to drive traffic to their tours. The drawback to the program is that if you only travel to remote areas, then there may be less or no programs to chose from to direct your audience to try.
Here is a list of Viator travel affiliate partner tools.
Viator Selector
Widgets
Banners
Affiliate Links
Viator partner affiliate tools
There are no minimum requirements to join the Viator Partner program, which is great if you don’t yet have much web traffic.
Accommodation
You’ve got to find a place to stay when traveling. Whether that be in a hotel or short-term accommodation, here are the places that we use and stand by.
AirBnB
AirBnB
AirBnB can be a fantastic way to earn additional income or even a full income, depending on your market. AirBnB has caught some heat recently, mostly with some hosts charging exorbitant fees (cleaning) and little other rewards for travelers, but the core concept still exists for hosts that want to earn a little more income or if you want to travel affordably.
We have hosted rooms and complete homes on AirBnB platform over the years. Most recently, we decided to park our skoolie at one of our rentals and turn our rig into a unique AirBnB, paired with the house. Since both are furnished spaces, you can get the experience of living in a school bus conversion while also having the creature comforts of home like a TV and real toilet.
If you want to become an AirBnB host, use our AirBnB host link to get $40 towards hosting.
AirBnB affiliate partner website
From what I can see, there is no AirBnB partner program that exists! Instead, AirBnB offers an AirBnB host referral program where you can earn over $500 if a host registers with your code. The host earns like $40. This referral program is rather easy to share since AirBnB is a “household name.”
Rewards Credit Cards
A vast majority of our personal shopping, business purchases and travel spending is done on rewards credit cards that we pay off monthly. The benefit to this system is that we also generate points that can be used towards trips, flights and accommodations. Here are the programs we use.
If you’ve ever heard of travel hacking, where you open up these travel credit cards to get the initial bonus points, then you know how lucrative these cards can be when used wisely.
My husband and I both have Chase Sapphire cards, primarily for generating points that are easily transferrable to the partner programs. We use this card for our day-to-day purchases, and those add up. It really comes in handy when the bus needs to go into the shop and we literally cannot be in our tiny home. We use our points to book hotels at a discount.
Chase Sapphire Refer-A-Friend
This card is known to over fantastic points rewards and the referrer gets a bonus too. There is no dedicated affiliate partner website, instead a referral code to get 60,000 bonus points when opening a new Chase Sapphire credit card after meeting the minimum spend and time period thresholds. The referral code is only for current members that wise to refer friends and family.
Earn up to 75,000 bonus points per year by referring friends for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
That’s 15,000 bonus points for each friend who gets the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
Your friend will get 60,000 bonus points after they spend $4,000 in the first three months their account is open.
Chase Sapphire Refer-A-Friend Program
Amazon.com Business Prime American Express
We use the Amazon.com Business Prime American Express for our business expenses and services purchase we pay on credit card. This card was helpful when we spent close to $10,000 worth of Amazon purchases for the build and another $10,000 in runs to Home Depot. Having a dedicated credit card for business expenses was really great to have and the points generated were significant in our case.
Amazon.com Business Prime American Express Refer-A-Friend
Get a $125 Amazon.com Gift Card† upon approval with an eligible Prime membership.*
What travel affiliate marketing programs would you like to see?
These free affiliate programs are great to get started joining if you want to drive your audience to programs you support and use within a travel niche. We have been members of some of these programs for years before becoming an affiliate and truly enjoy the services they provide.
Can you recommend any other affiliate travel partnerships? Leave a comment below!
Overall, yes. Helen offers the American-version of German Bavariawhile sprinkling in its own southern charm as it sits along the Chattahoochee River and within the Blue Ridge Mountains. You certainly won’t find many places like Alpine Helen, Georgia any where else in the United States. The town was inspired by the Bavarian region of Germany, where you’ll find traditional wooden buildings with “gingerbread” carpentry, small villages, traditional festivals like Oktoberfest and delicious beers.
Of course, it doesn’t hold a flame next to the real deal: the region of Bavarian is found in southeast Germany, which really is the stuff of fairy tales, especially during Christmas.
One to two days. You only need one day to walk the small town, grab a meal at a German-inspired restaurant, ride the Alpine slide a few times, and then visit a winery like The Cottage Vineyard and Winery. If you plan to go tubing on the Suwannee river that runs through the town, then you should spend an extra day floating around the town.
Take a look at the free two day travel itinerary that I made to help you have a relaxed time in beautiful Alpine Helen, Georgia.
Two day family-friendly travel itinerary to Helen, Georgia
If I could create my ideal itinerary to Helen, Georgia, this would be it.
Snag this free travel itinerary to two relaxing days of things to do in Helen with little ones. It includes hanging around downtown, tubing and a wine tasting. That’s a winner in my book.
We spent one day in Helen. We traveled here in June 2021, so many places were still closed due to COVID-19 and likely just going out of business since it’s a tourism-dependent area.
Ride the Alpine Slide
Our first stop was to the Alpine Slide just outside of town. We rode that with our son (4 years) at least twice since it’s half off the second ride. Our daughters didn’t meet the height and weight requirements to be able to go with mom or dad.
Affordably Park in Downtown Helen
Next, we parked in town at a public lot (815 River St, Helen, GA 30545, United States) for about $20. I believe we were able to get that parking slip validated if we dined in town.
Lunch at The Troll Tavern
We were hungry and immediately went to the Troll Tavern. We picked it because of its name and its location on the Suwannee River. The food was good (brats and french fries) and the river was filled with people on tubes. My husband also picked up a boot-shaped beer glass here for like $15 with the purchase of a beer. Location: Troll Tavern, 8590 N Main St, Helen, GA 30545, United States
Stroll around Downtown Helen
After that, we strolled through town taking a look at the shops. Many shops and restaurants were still closed due to the pandemic at that time (June 2021).
Take a Guided Tour
Sometimes it’s more fun to see a new destination through the lens of a local. You can find guided tour operators in Helen like:
Additionally, the Helen Visitors Bureau offers an app that you can download to find activities in the area.
Dinner at the Hofbrauhaus
For an early dinner, we ate at the Hofbrauhaus. This building, though newer construction, definitely had German vibes with lots of woodwork, small dining rooms and stained glass windows overlooking the river.
Location: Hofbrauhaus, 9001 N Main St, Helen, GA 30545, United States
Book a Wine Tasting at The Cottage Vineyard & Winery
Our first impression of the property was “wow, this is Georgia?” The rolling hills of northern Georgia really stand out at this winery, perched at the top of a valley and surrounded by grape vines.
Vineyards line the property as you drive up. At the top of the hill, you are greeted by a military memorial, then you come around a bend to the most charming little winery tasting room with outdoor seating.
The tasting room is a great room concept filled with windows to capture the surrounding views of trees, mountains and vines. It also has central AC, which is a necessity in the heat of the summer! There is plenty of outdoor seating (some covered) if you want to venture outside.
They offer an assortment of in-house and locally-sourced wines, paid flights and frozen wine slushies to beat the heat.
Our favorite wines at The Cottage Vineyard and Winery
Eric: The Cottage’s cabernet sauvignon
Ingrid: muscadine wine from a nearby vineyard. Ingrid was blown away with the vintner that produced the muscadine wine served at The Cottage Vineyard and Winery – it was flavorful and smooth, but she didn’t get the name of that winery (of course!).
Eric, Landon, Finley and the Destination Unknown Skoolie.
Camping at The Cottage Vineyard and Winery in Helen, Georgia
We camped in our RV overnight on the top of the hill by the memorial. We found The Cottage Vineyard & Winery through Harvest Hosts and it allows for a free overnight stay from its hosts who own or manage farms, wineries, breweries, etc.
ability to use our generators to power our AC, and
great wine and wine slushies.
How is The Cottage Vineyard & Winery rated?
The Cottage Vineyard and Winery in northern Georgia is ranked as a 4.6 out of 5 stars according to an average of hundreds of reviews we sourced from three independent websites. See the graph below. Based on this and our personal experience, this is a great place to visit if you’re in northern Georgia.
We stayed 3 nights at a RV resort & campground down the street called Jenny’s Creek Family Campground. It came recommended to us by the ladies at the winery and for good reason.
Having stayed at only one other campground before this, we didn’t know what to expect. This campground is great for kids and families.
Amenities offered at Jenny’s Creek Family Campground in Cleveland, Georgia:
RV hookups (water, sewer & electric)
Free wifi
Coin laundry
camp store
recreation room
walking trails
playground
Flat parking with picnic table
water features like a fountain and creek
Our campsite was next to a little brook and had plenty of open space to watch the kids play safely outside while mom made lunch inside.
How is Jenny’s Creek Family Campground rated?
Jenny’s Creek Family Campground has an average of 4.5 out of 5 star reviews based on an average of hundreds of reviews sourced from four independent sites as you see in the chart below. That’s a really high review for a campground with a high level of traffic from RVs and traditional campers, many years in operation and our personal experience camping there.
Yes, you can. We traveled with three young kids between ages one to four) and two moderately active adults. The town is really small and the majority of the German-inspired shops and restaurants are along the Suwannee River.
What routes can you take to Helen, Georgia by RV?
We traveled north from Marietta, Georgia to Helen along route US-19. The distance is about 90 miles and took us just under two hours of non-stop driving in our skoolie RV. We prefer to avoid the interstates when driving in our RV, so we can see the area better.
However, another option from Marietta is to take I-985 north to US-23 then change to GA-384 followed by GA-75. That trip is a longer distance than the first at ~100 miles though about the same amount of travel time.
When does tubing season open in Helen, Georgia?
Tubing season runs from the end of May (Memorial Day) through the first week in September (Labor Day). Depending on the option you pick, you’ll be in the water between one to two hours.
There are two tubing tour operators in Helen, Georgia:
Tubing is an outside activity, so if the weather is bad then the tours won’t operate.
How much does it cost to go tubing in Helen, Georgia?
A few hours of tubing is going to run you between $14-$18, depending on days of the week. Weekends tend to be more expensive. Additionally, you may decide to pay for some upgrades like slides, etc. You may be able to get a group discount for a large group (20+). Typical things included in that price are:
Transport to the launch site(s) and pick-up at the end
Tube
Life jacket
Can you carry an alcoholic beverage around Helen, Georgia?
Unfortunately, that is a big nope! According to city ordinances, you aren’t allowed to carry beer, wine or other alcoholic beverages around town or while tubing down the river. If you’re attending an event that is cordoned or fenced off like for Oktoberfest, then you may be allowed to drink in those designated areas.
How did the town of Helen, Georgia get its name?
Though Helen, Georgia is a unique Bavarian-inspired town in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the name “Helen” doesn’t evoke thoughts of Germany as names like Gretchen, Ingrid or Helga would. So where does the name come from? The town is named after the daughter of a logging industrialist who platted and incorporated the town in 1912 and 1913, respectively.
What is the landscape like near Helen, Georgia?
Helen, Georgia and the surrounding towns like Cleveland are located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, which is a wonderful area to be if you love hiking, exploring, and generally mild weather. The mountains are relatively small compared to say the Rockies out west, but you can still get a good workout and find places to go rock-climbing if that is your jam.
You can quickly get into nature and feel completely secluded and find a number of campgrounds and cabins, though they fill up fast in the busy season.
Does it snow in Helen, Georgia?
The snowy season in Helen falls between November to April, with December having the most snowfall. It’s not much snow though. You’ll only see about 3 inches max of snowfall when it does.
Where is Helen, Georgia located?
Helen is located in northern Georgia, about two hours northeast of Marietta and Atlanta and one hour and fifteen minutes south of Franklin, North Carolina.
Do muscadine grapes make good wine?
If you’re not familiar with muscadine grapes, they are a native southern grape with distinct taste and smell. The grapes themselves have a thick dark purple skin, are round, and contain seeds. The wines made from muscadine grapes have unique flavor profile that differs from the commercially harvested grapes that you commonly see in stores. Vintners specializing in the production of wine from muscadine grapes are producing fantastic wines these days. This wine is definitely worth tasting, if you have never had it.
Conclusion
We spent one day visiting the city of Helen, Georgia and four nights camping in the surrounding area in our skoolie. Helen is definitely a place that is worth the day-trip and there is plenty of camping and things to do to keep families with little ones busy.
In short, yes. We went from paying $1,200-$1,300 per month for 3 children in full time preschool in Tampa to 750 SEK (~$75) per month for 20 hours per week. In the USA, this did not include the additional costs of diapers, wipes, formula, meals or snacks. In Sweden, it does.
For many Americans with children and for many young generations of Americans deciding to not have children, the cost of childcare and general child welfare is something that many in our country struggle with today.
That is of course exacerbated by, unfortunately, the mass shootings in schools as well as the nationwide teacher shortage. We have found that moving to Sweden is a vast improvement in all areas in our lives, but primarily safety, accessibility and affordability.
These are our family’s personal experiences as immigrants to Sweden from the United States. We feel very fortunate we were able to make this move, and that our children will grow up in a safe environment that focuses on family-first.
If you are an American expatriate with a different experience with the costs of preschool in Sweden compared to the United States, please leave a comment. I would love to hear your input.
How much do you pay for preschool in Sweden compared to the United States?
Before moving to Sweden in 2021 from Tampa, Florida, USA, we had three children in preschool full-time. We paid about $1,200-$1,300 per month, and that did not include diapers, wipes, formula, meals or snacks.
In Tyresö, Sweden (2022), we paid 750 SEK (~$75) per month for 20 hours of preschool a week.
Included in that preschool fee were diapers, wipes, and all meals and snacks. A chef worked on site and made traditional Swedish meals for the children and staff. My kids fell in love with Swedish meatballs (of course), fish, and especially pancakes.
The right to this fantastic service is available for all citizens and residents regardless of income, employment status, etc, and it doesn’t matter if the school is public or private. Your child’s tuition and available hours may be subsidized based on factors like employment, studying, parental leave and unemployment.
How do you apply for preschool in Sweden?
Is preschool in Sweden really cheaper than USA?
In most cases, it is an extremely easy process to apply for preschool in Sweden. The cities or municipality (kommun) allow you to apply for several schools (usually 4 to 5) on their website. There are no fees to apply.
You simply enter:
your and your child’s information
parent(s) status
desired start date
amount of care hours
ranking of usually 4 to 5 preschools you would like placement in (public or private)
The municipality or city will ask you (the parent) if you are working, unemployed, studying or on parental leave with the sibling(s) to determine how much to assess your preschool fee and time your child can be at school based on those factors. For us, neither my husband or I have Swedish income currently and we hadn’t yet been approved for barnbidrag and föräldrarpenning for our youngest child, so they considered us unemployed and on parental leave. We paid roughly $75/mo for three children in childcare, up to 20 hours a week.
I’ve applied for preschool in Tyresö and Västerås, and I found their process to apply for preschool to be basically identical to what I listed above. Tyresö allowed up to four preschools on their application whereas Västerås allowed up to five preschools. I believe the waitlist at the time (spring 2022) in Tyresö was up to three months for placement and Västerås (summer 2022) is up to four months.
My understanding is that every child over the age of one is entitled to 20 or 25 hours of childcare a week, regardless of employment status. That means that if you just need to get your little one exploring but may still be a stay at home parent, then your child can still go to school at a heavily discounted cost compared to the United States (like the equivalent of $75/month), including food, diapers and wipes.
I would note that if you do not yet have a personnummer (Swedish social security number) from Skatteverket (Swedish tax authority), then you may not be able to apply online; however, your municipality (kommun) will take the application by paper. They will even provide you with the application on paper if you can’t print it. Both parents should be listed on the application as well.
Is there a waiting list to get into preschool in Sweden?
There can be a waiting period to get placement for preschool in Sweden, regardless of whether it is a public or private school. The waiting period varies from city to city, but it is usually within 4 months (sooner if you request due to circumstances like employment).
In our experience, we were told in January 2022 that we had a three month wait for our children to enter preschool in Tyresö. We asked the principal (rektor) at the school for an earlier start date and she was able to move us up to mid-February 2022.
Whereas, in Tampa, many of my friends put their unborn child on waitlists that could still take up to a year!
How do you pay for preschool fees in Sweden?
Sweden makes it incredibly easy to pay for services with the country-wide program called Swish or through your Swedish bank. Swish is like PayPal but with no transaction fees and tied to everyone’s banks in the country through an app. Paying for invoices like for preschool is a breeze because you just scan the OCR code, price, and account number with your phone or enter these manually. Then the vendor name is populated for you to pay, matched against the invoice. Payment is received immediately and is free, unlike same-day payments in the USA.
In comparison, I had to write checks weekly for preschool in Tampa (and that means the hassle of finding my checkbook weekly and remembering to pay).
Is preschool free in Sweden?
Kind of. The municipalities offer free open preschool (öppna förskolan) during the weekdays, usually around 9a to 2p. It is free of charge to attend. Some days may be for young children, but others may be for all ages. This can be a great way to socialize your little ones before going into paid preschool (förskola).
You simply show up to open preschool. There is no need to register, though you will need to stay with your kids while they are there.
In our kommun, one day is for really small children, and the rest is for all ages. My kids immediately go to play and leave me to relax for a few hours while they do. If you need actual childcare then you will need to enroll them in “real” preschool.
How do I get childcare in Sweden if I work non-traditional hours?
If you work outside the traditional work hours of say 9a to 5p, when schools and preschools are normally open, then you can work with your Swedish municipality on government subsidized child care for after hours. Visit your municipality website to learn more.
What ages attend preschool in Sweden?
Swedish preschools are for children between the ages of 1 to 5 years old. After the 5th year, the child moves into compulsory school.
What is preschool like in Sweden?
Preschools in Sweden really emphasize playing in the development of children, as well as being in nature. Rain or shine, hot or cold, you will always see Swedish preschoolers playing on the playgrounds and going on nature hikes with their classmates and teachers. It is also common to see an entire preschool class take the bus to the library, if it is too far to walk.
Additionally, different aged children are grouped together in a classroom. For example, children between ages of 3-5 will be in the same class. This is great because the younger children learn from the older ones, and older children learn to care for and play with the younger children.
Are Swedish preschools safe?
Swedish preschools (and schools in general) are known to be safe, and that is largely due to well-trained teachers and staff and the support from the Swedish government and people. Sweden as a country is known to be very safe and a wonderful place to live and raise a family. Childcare is accessible and affordable.
This is in addition to the paid parental leave, up to one year, for both parents. This is the stuff of American dreams.
The emotional cost to enroll your kids in a safe school is more important than ever, especially for many Americans. As many people that do not live within the USA know, mass shootings are a uniquely American experience unfortunately. The problem of them is that they continue to increase and are highly unpredictable on where they will occur next, including schools. Another sad and recent example is in May 2022 when a shooter killed 19 children and 2 teachers in Uvalde, Texas in an elementary school.
Every week, there are more tragedies. Over 200 days into 2022, there has been an average of 13 mass shootings a week, according to an NBC analysis of data from the Gun Violence Archive. The GVA defines a mass shooting as an event where a minimum of four victims are shot, either injured or killed, not including the shooter.
This sad American phenomenon is a non-issue in Sweden (and most European countries, to be honest). I really tried to find information on massshootings in Sweden, but there was no recent accessible history available. In this 1998 article on mass shootings over the years in Sweden, the author found that:
In the 36 years between 1960 and 1995, fourteen such occasions were recorded, during which 32 people were killed and 57 were wounded.
The obvious winner in childcare affordability and quality of care falls to Sweden over the United States. Unfortunately, the USA has a lot to do to make preschool affordable and accessible to millions of working parents. The Swedish model for preschool affordability is wonderful.
What city should I visit in Sweden?
Interested in coming to Sweden? Check out some of our travel guides and book your trip:
Have you considered a membership with Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome?
In 2021, Harvest Hosts purchased the Boondockers Welcome platform and they have been integrating the platforms since then.
The camping programs are distinctly different though in that Harvest Hosts is more centered around businesses like farms, wineries, breweries, etc offering short 24-hour overnight stays and no hook-ups.
On the other hand, Boondockers Welcome is more like an individual host offering single to multi-night stays on their personal property, usually with hook-ups and sometimes with extra amenities like laundry.
In both cases, there is usually no fee paid (free camping!) to the host for an overnight, unless they otherwise state it in the listing (like for hook-ups, etc) and the apps make it really easy to contact the hosts for even a same-day booking in many cases.
Harvest Hosts has almost 4,000camping locations that are great for RVers, whether you are in a more traditional vehicle or a skoolie (“school bus conversion”) like us. During our six-month skoolie tour of the east coast of the USA, we camped at over 10 locations using Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome as a family of five.
Is Harvest Hosts free?
In short, no. Annually, you’ll pay a Harvest Hosts membership fee starting at $99/year. Snag our discount code for 15% off! Additionally, the hosts and platform request that you shop at the business that you are camping at to support them, though the overnight camping spot itself is free.
Is Harvest Hosts worth joining?
In our opinion, it was. Our family of five traveled for six months full-time in our school bus conversion. During that time, we stayed at over 5 Harvest Hosts locations. We found the platform to be very user-friendly (both on website and mobile with the app), the hosts responded quickly (many for same-day bookings) and there were many camping locations to choose from along our route.
Though Harvest Hosts recommends you frequent and shop from the place of business that is hosting you, we found that to be a win-win for all parties because we were probably going to visit the business anyway. We parked on their property after all and wanted to explore after a long day of travel.
Is Harvest Hosts safe?
As a family of five, we only desired to stay at safe camping grounds. We felt comfort when we booked overnight stays with Harvest Hosts and all hosts that we spoke with were communicative and friendly.
Every host that lists on the Harvest Hosts platform must:
Describe in detail the camping location(s), and
Provide listing photos, so you can get a good idea of the type of location you’ll be camping.
Does Harvest Hosts have hookups?
No, hosts with Harvest Hosts typically do not provide hookups for overnight stays. However, the sister platform, Boondockers Welcome, does offer hookups for campers.
Does harvest host allow skoolies or school bus conversions?
Yes! According to the Harvest Hosts website, school bus conversions are allowed! The platform allows for self-contained vehicles, like a skoolie or schoolie. We personally used Harvest Hosts when traveling in our skoolie because it was so friendly to our type of rig.
All classes of RV’s are allowed (Class A, Class B, Class C) including motorhomes, fifth wheel trailers, travel trailers, toy haulers, camper vans, truck campers, and schoolies. Vehicles towed behind RVs are also allowed at our Host locations.
Yes! According to the Harvest Hosts website, it states that the platform allows camper vans, vans designed for living quarters that is self-contained. The van must have four rigid sides, though a pop up roof for a bed is allowed. Something like a mini-van would not be allowed.
How many Harvest Hosts sites are there?
There are nearly 4,000 hosts sites available across North America. The Harvest Host locations are made up of a variety of business like wineries, breweries, farms, museums and much more.
How do you get a membership discount with Harvest Hosts?
What’s the difference between Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome?
From our personal experience using both platforms frequently during our skoolie tour, I would say the primary differences between Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Wecome is as follows.
Harvest Hosts
Are usually small businesses like farms, wineries, breweries and even some golf communities
Don’t offer hook-ups
Offer a 24-hour “overnight” stay
Cannot request multi-night stays
Won’t be parking on private property (since the host is usually a business)
Business purchases are encouraged
Boondockers Welcome
Hook-ups are available at 70% of the host locations
Can stay multiple nights
Parking on private property
No business purchase is encouraged
Take a look at the infographic below that shows in-detail the differences between the two sister platforms.
What are the differences between Harvest Hosts & Boondockers Welcome?
Can I get a membership discount with Boondockers Welcome?
Yes! Get 15% when you get an annual membership with Boondockers Welcome when you
In this post I share the 9 attractions in Sandviken that you should experience with your family. Sandviken is located just west of Gävle with a population of around 40,000. There is not too much to do or too little – it’s lagom, as they say in Swedish.
Our family visited Sandviken a few times in October 2021 and really enjoyed the town, especially the city center, Sandviken Centrum. There is also something for everyone here. From fishing to hiking, shopping, dining (including fika), winter sports, music and even an amusement park!
På svenska: Här finns nio grejer att göra i Sandviken, Sverige!
We stayed at an AirBnB within walking distance of Högbo Bruk in October 2021. It offers a lovely restaurant, animals like alpacas, golf course, cross-country skiing in the winter, motocross, shopping, and a playground for children.
Jumping on the in-ground trampoline in Sandviken, SwedenJumping on the in-ground trampoline in Sandviken, Sweden
The downtown area is pedestrian-friendly, and there is no need to worry about car traffic in the direct center. The sidewalks are clean and stroller-friendly too.
The city planners thought of families in their design. As you walk along the main street in downtown, they have built trampolines into the ground. Our little children really enjoyed being able to get out their energy in a safe place.
The restaurant scene was nice as well. We ready great reviews on the gastropub called The Church, but it was closed when we visited. Instead, we went to Mulligan’s Irish Pub, which was cozy, friendly and delicious. We highly recommend going there!
2 brown alpacas eating grass at Höbro Bruk in Sandviken, SwedenMaddie on a bridge by the restaurant at Höbro Bruk in Sandviken, SwedenA small bridge going over the river with red Swedish cottages in the background at the Höbro Bruk in Sandviken, Sweden | Destination UnknownA small bridge going over the river towards a stone Swedish cottage in at the Höbro Bruk in Sandviken, Sweden | Destination UnknownEric standing next to a wooden statue of the Swedish Chef at Höbro Bruk in Sandviken, Sweden | Destination Unknown
Where to stay in Sandviken, Sweden
Högbro Brukstuga | Sandviken SwedenA small green Swedish cottage called Högbro Brukstuga | Sandviken Sweden | Destination Unknown
AirBnB
Hotels
AirBnB
Our family of five spent 2 nights in Sandviken. We booked a tiny summer cottage through AirBnB. It was clean, newly built, and the hosts were so kind. Our cottage was also within walking distance to Högbo Bruk, where the kids could play at the park, see animals like alpaca, and mom & dad could grab a quick fika.
Hotel
I’ve linked two hotels below that we considered staying at, but there are more available.
From Gävle, you can travel by bus, by car or by train. We personally don’t have a vehicle and find the public transportation to be excellent here, especially when traveling with young children and a stroller.
Located close to major cities
A bus from Gävle to Sandviken will take you approximately 30 minutes, but the train will be faster: ~15 minutes. Some form of transportation runs about every 20 minutes, so it is very easy to get around.
I personally prefer to travel by public transportation within Sweden because it is clean, reliable, and there is nearly a bus or train stop close to every destination you want to reach.
Traveling by car from Gävle to Sandviken will take you around 20 minutes. If you’re going to more remote areas, then having a car is convenient, especially on the weekends when the bus service is infrequent outside of town.
Buy tickets for public transportation
The bus and train lines are managed by Xtrafik in this region. The easiest way to buy tickets is on the mobile app, but you can also buy tickets on board.
Family travel discounts on Xtrafik in Sweden
If you’re traveling as a family, the Xtrafik bus service usually offers a package discount for families (2 parents, up to 3 kids). You can buy this in the mobile app, in the bus depot, or ask the bus driver to help you out.
Thanks for following our journey. – Ingrid & the HildeFam
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